


my wasted heart will love you

by mytraitorousheart



Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-02
Updated: 2016-01-19
Packaged: 2018-03-28 18:13:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3864787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mytraitorousheart/pseuds/mytraitorousheart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>My collection of Klaroline drabbles that are canon compliant with the show. Many of the drabbles were written in response to episodes or guessing to what comes next.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Crave You

It has been two weeks. Two weeks since he had sought her out. Two weeks since his annoying presence had been around her. Two weeks since she realized Tyler was gone for good. Two weeks since the shameful thoughts started again. Two weeks since she started missing him.

She had found out about Hayley. She shouldn't have cared but she did. He didn't owe her anything, she had dismissed him more times then she could count. She hoped that Hayley was simply a means to an end, a meaningless fling but the fact remained that he stopped pursuing her after he had been with Hayley and she wondered if Hayley had now replaced her as the object of his affections. Hayley, who had orchestrated the murder of his hybrids, who was the reason Tyler was on the run, who had snapped her neck out of jealously and because she did not go along with her diabolical plan. That Hayley was now taking top billing in Klaus' eyes.

There is something narcissistic and cruel about when one is the object of someone's affections even if you do not return it, one revels in the feeling of being admired, appreciated, wanted, and when that person finally gives up or moves on they leave a weird sort of emptiness, dejectedness in their wake. She knew she wanted him, she knew she was drawn to him, even if it was wrong, even if she never indulged in it, she knew it was there and she felt the strong surge of electricity whenever he was near her.

Stefan had called her to come over to help them try and track Silas. A part of her didn't want to go but she longed to feel useful, needed and so she followed the familiar path to the Salvatore Boarding House. He was already there when she arrived, sitting in an armchair facing the fire, staring at the flames, nursing a drink. She glanced over at him when she fell upon the sofa, he did not turn to look at her, and she felt the first stab of pain for the evening. When Stefan arrived in the living room and explained to Klaus that she would be helping them in their search, he finally turned towards her, gave her false smile and a curt nod. She could not help but notice the fact that he no longer looked at her with adoration and reverence, his mask of indifference throwing her.

In the middle of their planning and preparation when Stefan had gone to get them drinks in the more venal capacity, she decided to address the elephant in the room. "So you and Hayley, hey?" She asked him as she tried to keep her tone neutral.

Klaus cocked his head to one side and smirked, "I figured you've been dying to ask me that."

She scoffed, "Hardly. I was just interested to see your sudden change to wolf sluts. Although I suppose it's more in character and accessible to you."

He chuckled, "You amuse me, love. You couldn't expect me to wait around until you decided I was worth your time."

"Because then you would wait forever."

"Exactly!" His tone had a form of finality to it as he leaned back in the armchair again, "Sometimes one needs to know when to cut your losses."

She continued to stare at him as she heard Stefan closing the freezer of blood deep below the house and making his way back. She wanted to tell him that she didn't want him to give up on her. She wanted to tell him that she thought of him more often she should have, that even though she cannot admit to it, she longed to be near him, around him, to be wanted by him. She craved him with every fiber of her being. She felt another jolt of pain when she realized that she wasn't able to tell him, and that all her cravings would now be housed in the arms of another.


	2. My Wasted Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Klaus’ hope for Caroline to be his has some interesting complications.

He opened his eyes abruptly and stared up at the ceiling. He could feel her next to him on his bed, "You're back."

"Well you had such a tough day, I thought it was due time that I paid you a visit."

"It's been a while," he commented while maintaining his staring contest with a crack in his ceiling.

"Yes, so much has happened since I last saw you: you killed your hybrids, Tyler's mom, tried to kill me."

"Yes yes, I'm well aware of my indiscretions."

"And I seem to be making sure you remember them," she laughed softly to herself.

He turned onto to his side to face her, grabbed a lock of her hair and twirled it around in his hand, mesmerized once again by her beauty.

"Your sheets are so soft!" She patted the fabric around her, "Is this Egyptian cotton?"

He chuckled and looked up at her, "How are you here?"

She turned to look him dead in the eyes, "You do know I'm a dream, don't you?"

He scoffed, "Of course I do, there is no reality where you would willingly be on my bed. And I think we've had enough of these meetings to deduce that."

He turned onto his back again and let his hands meet on his chest. The pain in his heart increased when her soft, small hand met his hard, large ones. It hurt so much to have her with him, but knowing that it isn't truly real.

"You know I'm only here when you have hope," she whispered as she moved closer to him.

"Because like the fool that I have become, I keep pining for you even though I know you love another, and you will never be mine."

"And yet, you are still allowing Tyler to come back. That can't be easy for you, to have your decisions made by a woman that doesn't love you back," she said as she kept on playing with his fingers.

"Maybe I'm just biding my time until the pup royally ruins things himself and you come to me willingly."

"And you are certain that I'll come to you?"

He smirked. "I'm certain of nothing. But that's why you're here, to give me hope."

"I don't give you hope, I am a result of your hope. But I have to admit granting Tyler his freedom is not a gesture that will go unappreciated by me, that's one thing you've done right lately." She smiled as he lifted up one of his arms and placed it around her to cradle her close to him.

"So we're friends now," he said while turning his head to look at her.

"Tentative friends," she corrected him, "You're still on probation, and I wouldn't be so excited to be in the friend zone if I was you."

"I don't care what zone I'm in as long as you don't look at me with disdain anymore. I wish you would always look at me as you are now. I know that it is just my own feelings being echoed in your eyes, but already it feels much more than I ever deserve." He moved his other hand across to cup her cheek. The electricity that was rife between them when he grabbed her arm still fresh in his memory, fueling his desire, his adoration, his love.

As he held her in his arms, this phantom, this figment of his over-active imagination he tried to imagine what it would be like to hold the real Caroline, the one who kept claiming to hate him but kept returning to him. He had seen her emotions turn from distaste to warmth in a matter of seconds and he longed for a time when he would be on the receiving end of her compassion, her love, her loyalty.

"And if I never come around?" She was whispering again.

"Well then love, my wasted heart will continue to pine for you for as long as I walk this earth," he said softly, his lips parallel to hers.

"And then I have a feeling we will be seeing much more of each other, until I am replaced by the real thing," she said simply, as she gave him a chaste kiss on his lips.

His eyes shot opened once again, anMd he turned his head to the side, glancing at the space on his bed that was empty and he felt a pang of disappointment., even though he knew she was simply a dream, he could not prevent himself from wishing that this time it might have been real.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is set post-4x18


	3. The Perfect Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reflective drabble. Inner-monologue of Klaus’ thoughts at the Miss Mystic Falls Pageant in 4x07.

A perfect day is difficult to describe when you have lived for over a thousand years. There have been moments where he has been incredibly happy – when he broke the hybrid curse, the death of Mikael, when he discovered how to create hybrids – all these moments adding to his collection of memories of which he will think back upon fondly, which helped to define who he is.

But yet none of these moments can be described as perfect, they all came at some form of cost or some obstacle to overcome. He would never have thought that the day he would coin as his perfect day would be when he attended a high school pageant. It all seemed very silly and trivial, a title given to a privileged child of one of the founding families, but he went because it was important to her.

Her, who has taken a more central residence in his mind lately. Her, who has betrayed him so many times but yet still has him begging for her attention. Her, who has the potential of being his greatest strength as well as his Achilles heel. It went against his very nature to care this much, to pursue so adamantly without seeing results. But yet he could not resist her, like a moth drawn to a flame.

She had agreed to go on a date with him if he handed over one of his hybrids to be killed by Jeremy in return. He knew that she only agreed to his terms in order to save Elena but an aspect of him hoped that somewhere deep down she wanted to see him again, that she enjoyed his company and now that she was not being courted by the hybrid anymore she did not have the excuse of being spoken for.

After years of diabolical scheming he knew that an ordinary dinner-and-a-movie date would be too easy for her to weasel out of once her friends had sobered her up to the fact that she would be going on a date with him, their enemy. It had to be something that she would have to attend, somewhere amongst the monotony of her teenage life where he can display all he can offer her if she just gave him a chance.

She took some convincing to let him escort her to the Miss Mystic Falls Pageant but after bringing to attention the hybrid’s indiscretion, she conceded. He hated to think that the reason for her going with him was because of her still lingering feelings for that boy. That boy who didn’t deserve her, who was not satisfied with only her, who couldn’t see what a queen she was and how much he should have treasured her. But he would not let this date be wasted, he would use any opportunity he could to try and win her.

She had put limitations on him – no gifts – she was no simple girl who could be wooed by a trinket and a few compliments. He knew that in order to charm her he would have to connect with her and according to her: he doesn’t connect with people because he doesn’t even try to understand them. But he wants to understand her, he wants to know everything about her, to be encompassed in her world, what she loves, what she hates. When they had first danced together at his mother’s ball, she had proclaimed that she was the current Miss Mystic Falls. It was a title she was proud of, that she felt she earned, whereby in his eyes he could see no competition to her beauty. But he wanted to know why this competition was so important to her, why she had entered so he broke into the Founders Committee that judged the pageant’s archives and stole her application. He was intrigued by what he read of a young girl that he had never met. A girl who didn’t know about vampires and werewolves, a girl whose only problems was not winning a tiara, or having an event not run smoothly. This was the human version of her and it made sense as to why she still held onto her titles and leadership roles because they represent her human side that she isn’t ready to give up on yet.

“You’re perfect.” Two words he never expected to hear about himself. All his life, he had been an outsider, never good enough, a creature between two worlds. His father detested him, his mother cursed him, his family didn’t want him, and the only girl he had loved did not see him as enough. But here she was, the object of his affections, earnestly calling him perfect.

After that moment, ‘perfect’ seemed to be the one word that resounding in his head. It was the first time that she had seemed fully happy and at-ease in his company. She looked like a goddess, the length of her dress teasing him as he snuck glances at her legs with desire. She didn’t shrink away when he put his hand on her lower back to lead her away from the conflict she was having with the doppelganger. She took him up on his offer of a drink. And her face when he was teasing her about what she had written in her application was priceless, he would steal all the paperwork in the world in order to have her beautiful laugh and smile directed at him. When she playfully smacked him, he wanted nothing more than to pull her closer and kiss her so that she’ll know how much she affected him, how much adoration he had for her, and how perfect she was to him. But he knew it wasn’t the right time, she wasn’t ready to be kissed by him and that was something he would have to reserve for when she was completely his.

The story of the hummingbird was something that he had thought of now and then, when a victim’s heart stopped, or when someone’s heart pace rose rapidly at the sight of him. The decision to share the story with her became easier as the day progressed. They way she grabbed his arm and led him across the bridge, the way she smiled at him and how she seemed free around him not hard and fearful like everyone else, he knew he had to give her something, personal information about him that will help to foster the connection between them. He knew he made the right decision when he saw the admiring way she looked at him after he shared his tale. From then on, he knew that he would go out of his way to deserve such a look from her, the angel who populated his dreams and the one who had given him his one true perfect day.


	4. The Last Dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Klaus helps Caroline find a new dress for prom.

"I'm sorry but we seem to have sold out of our evening gowns, maybe I can interest you in a cocktail dress?" The shop assistant smiled apologetically at her.

"No thank you," Caroline responded disappointedly, "You see it's for my Senior Prom this evening so it kind of needs to be an evening gown."

"This evening! My gosh, you should have gotten yours long in advance. The same day is leaving things a bit too late!" The lecturing tone of the shop assistant did little to put Caroline at ease.

"Thanks anyway," she said as she walked out of the third and final clothing boutique in Mystic Falls. She had searched through all the boutiques and thrift stores in their small town and all she found were dresses that even her great-aunt Imogen would be too ashamed to wear.

She let out a defeated sigh as she climbed into her car to make her way home. She knew things were too good to be true when she left the school gym the night before. Everything was too perfect, the sound equipment worked, none of the committee flaked off their duties and neither the caterers or the DJ called to cancel at the last minute. It was not until she got home that evening that the real problems started.

She had wanted to try on her dress one last time, just to make sure it fitted perfectly but when she opened her closet she found her dress to be missing. She searched through every room of her house, looking frantically for the dress she specifically chosen almost three months previously, all the well knowing that she would not find it in her home.

"Nice dress, Caroline" those three words were echoing through her head as she tore up room after room. When it became obvious that the dress was no longer in her possession she whipped out her phone and called Elena's number. After Elena's phone went straight to voicemail and the Salvatore's could provide her with any information about Elena's whereabouts, she went to sleep, shedding tears over the fact that her perfect prom was now ruined, she wouldn't have Tyler escorting her or the dress she had been waiting months to wear.

Each minute that passed by brought her closer to the hour of doom, where she would be dress-less, date-less in a paradise she created for everyone else to enjoy. As she drove down the familiar main road, she tried to think of an option she had not exhausted – all the out-of-town boutiques would not be able to get a dress in time and even the ones that could, she could not afford their prices and after asking every last person that she knew if they had some connections she fell short. She thought of how beautiful she felt in her prom dress, how she felt that she conquer anything, even walking into school gym alone. The last time she felt that beautiful and confident in a dress was at the Mikaelson's Ball. Even through all his faults, Klaus really knew how to pick a dress. It was at that moment when her mind fell on her last remaining option.

* * *

 

Klaus stood up from the oak desk in his office as he heard the doorbell ring for the third time in the last minute. He opened the front door of his mansion, ready to throttle the impatient guest on the other side when he saw a mass of blonde hair and a familiar scent of vanilla caught his senses.

"Caroline!" He exclaimed, unable to keep the shock out of his voice, "What are you doing here?"

"I need your help!" She said in a desperate tone, "And I thought it was about time I cashed in one of the many favors you owed me.

"Caroline," he smirked as he saw a small shiver go through her, "If you wanted an excuse to see me you could've have just called..."

Caroline scoffed, "Seriously! You wish! I was hoping you knew someone who could help me find a dress, you must have lots of connections, being hybrid king and all."

"A dress? I thought you were sorted for your prom."

"Well I was!" She exclaimed angrily as she walked past him into his living room and helped herself to a glass of scotch, "But it appears your evil sister and Bad Elena thought it would be fun to steal my dress and disappear. So now I'm stranded with nothing to wear to the one night I've been prepping for since first grade."

"And you came to me because?"

"Because I figured you know people and it's the least you can do seeing as it's because of you that Tyler won't be able to attend with me." Klaus began to scowl which was an immediate reaction whenever she mentioned the hybrid's name. His hands tightened into fists at his sides, as he turned away from her, forcing himself to go against his nature to lash out and to savor in the fact that she came to him when she was in need.

He turned back to her and said, "Caroline, you may make yourself at home, I am just going to make some calls and see what I can do."

Fifteen minutes later, Klaus returned to the living room. Caroline looked up at him half expecting him to have the perfect dress draped over his arm and she wouldn't even question if it came from his closet or Rebekah's, but he was standing in front of her with just his car keys in his hand. "Come on, love, let's go."

"Where are we going?" She responded.

"We're going to find you a dress," he said gesturing towards the door as Caroline got up and followed him out.

"The Mystic Hotel? Klaus, I don't know what kind of ideas you got in your head when I asked for your help but it did not require you, me and a hotel room," she said indignantly as Klaus pulled his S.U.V. into the parking lot of the exclusive hotel.

"While many ideas come into my head when I am with you, love, I am meeting an associate here," Klaus replied.

In all her eighteen years of living in Mystic Falls, Caroline had never set foot inside the single hotel in the town but the minute her heels touched the marble floor of the foyer, she knew that this was the type of establishment she could see herself frequenting.

Klaus' associate (who Caroline assumed to be a old, balding man in a suit) was a tall, stunning woman in her late twenties named Kate, and she was positively dripping in name brands right from her Chanel jacket to her Diane von Furstenberg dress to her Christian Louboutin heels and her Prada handbag. Caroline's eyebrows rose as she greeted the hybrid affectionately and ushered them towards one of the hotel's conference rooms.

Her eyes widened when she saw what was in front of her – five of the most beautiful dresses she had ever seen, the ones you see in store windows, or on the bodies of celebrities but are never available or appropriate for the common woman.

"It was very difficult to find options at such short notice but I went with what you told me you wanted when I got the Alberto Makali dress, I assume this is the same woman," Kate asked as she gave Caroline a once over.

Caroline who was mesmerized by the works of art in front of her was brought back by Kate's reference to her. "Yes, this is she," Klaus replied and turned to her saying, "Love, Kate was the one who helped me find the dress you wore to my mother's ball." Caroline gave a curt nod, slightly uncomfortable with the fact that this stranger now associated her with him.

"So is there any of these that particularly appeal to you or would you like to try them all on?" Kate asked her.

"They're all so beautiful, I don't know how I will ever decide, I think perhaps I should try them all on," she responded, fingering the material of the Marchesa dress in front of her.

Each of the dresses fitted her perfectly, from the lilac Marchesa to the baby blue Elie Saab to the red Carolina Herrera and the pink Oscar de la Renta. Klaus watched as her face lit up every time she looked at herself in the mirror, a type of effortless joy, which he hadn't seen her display before. In that moment, he could see himself beginning to understand her – a young girl who fate has been so cruel to, who just for one night wanted to have her perfect prom, a night where she is truly happy and she might be able to able to fool herself into thinking things might just be okay. As she went to try on the final dress, a cream Sherri Hill, Klaus took out his phone and called one of his minions, "I need you to go to him and tell him he can came back, give him a suit and tell him he better sure he's at the school gymnasium at eight. And if I hear one whiff of him plotting anything nefarious I will not hesitate to kill him." He hung up just as Caroline came through the double doors of the conference room.

"Wow love, you look exquisite. I think this one might be my favorite yet," he said, his eyes not fully able to fathom the magnificent sight in front of him.

Caroline smiled shyly, "I think I like this one the best too, it makes me feel like an old movie star."

Klaus moved closer to her, "Well according to me, you are a lot more beautiful than any of those drunkards and pill-poppers of yesteryear." His hands ached to touch her, just to feel her close to him, for this light, this dream to finally to be his.

She chuckled softly. "Where is Kate?" She asked as she went to look at her form in the mirror, thinking about how her former dress paled in comparison to the glorious gown she now wore.

"Kate had an important phone call, but she will be back shortly," Klaus said as he admired her over her shoulder in the mirror.

"Oh okay, I just want her opinion before I make my final decision, but I think this one is it," she refused to consider the possibility that Klaus' endorsement might have been what made her adamant about her decision.

Klaus looked at her and pondered if he had ever seen a more stunning vision than what was currently in front of him. "Caroline, considering I am not going to be at your prom, would you allow me to have one dance with you…as friends?"

Caroline turned around to face him, "I might not be as worldly as you but I'm pretty sure, one needs music to dance."

"Oh that can be arranged," he smirked as he grabbed her hand and led her out of the conference room, past the reception desk and to the ballroom down the hall. A man in an elegant suit was sitting behind the piano; it appeared he was practicing for something. Klaus approached the pianist and asked, "Mate, can you play Mendelssohn's Andante in C Major?" as he passed him $100.

"Sure!" The pianist responded enthusiastically as he returned to the piano and started playing.

Klaus held out his hand and smiled at Caroline as she narrowed her eyes and took his hand. "Thank you," she whispered as he pulled her close and they began to sway to the music.

"It's my pleasure," he said as he looked at her seriously, "It's always my pleasure."

She blushed as he turned her around. They danced in silence for a while, listening to the music that played for only them and enjoying the ease in which they moved together.

"I have no doubt that you will be the most radiant woman at the prom tonight," Klaus said as the music was drawing to a close. "But I suppose we should be one of our way if you would like to still converse with Kate, you only have about five hours left for your preparation." He took hold of her left hand and brought it to his mouth and layered a soft kiss on top of it, "Thank you for giving me this, Caroline." Their eyes locked and for a moment Caroline felt as if the air was knocked out of her, the tenderness in his eyes was unmistakable and she wondered when she had gotten used to the affectionate way the big bad hybrid looked at her and if she would ever be able to go without it.

"I'll hope you find, that I may not be the best at friendship, but I do try," he mused as he lead her out of the ballroom, "And perhaps one day you will willing allow me to escort you to a dance, I am a patient man after all."


	5. Dancing With Another Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Klaus views Caroline and Tyler dancing at prom night.

He was a selfish man that much he knew. Betraying one sibling could cause distress and anger, but betraying two meant years of isolation and pain. But he knew that over time they will return to him, no one truly understood them like they did each other and after the death of Kol, he knew he would never let go of Rebekah, allow her to live a life that could only result in her death, a life that was limited, a life that would require him to be separate from her.

Aware of the consequences of the decision that he made to side with Silas against Elijah and Rebekah, he made his way over to the Lockwood Mansion. Caroline had said earlier that the after party of the prom was being held at the mansion that was now owned by Matt Donovan. He needed to see her, he needed to be reassured by her smile, he needed to feel that even after his siblings chastise him that there would still be someone who cared about him, someone who depended on him.

He heard the music playing before he reached the porch, the soft rhythm of a slow song, the kind that couples dance to when they delude themselves into thinking that they will stay together long after high school is over. The house was dark with a single light in the front living room, he wondered if she had left the school yet, perhaps she still enjoying herself with her friends and the Donovan boy had come to set up for the event. But regardless, he would wait for her; he would always wait for her.

It was as he made his way to the threshold of the house that he heard it, "I have to go soon," the voice familiar and unmistakable, the voice of his one remaining hybrid, the baritone sound of his voice distinctive against the soft, melodic sound of the music playing. His fists bawled at his side, ready to unleash his anger, unable to believe that the hybrid had the nerve to come back, to set foot in Mystic Falls, to spend time with her, after all that he done to betray him. He got to the porch and the open curtains invited him to peek through the front window into the living room. The music becoming louder the closer he came and he saw a couple embracing, dancing close, and their bodies swaying to the music.

The hybrid looked at her again as he said, "People will be here for the party and if anyone sees me…" revealing his plans to leave again before he was caught. It was almost laughable that Tyler believed that he could fool him, that he would never have caught wind of his little visit. The fact that he tempted fate that he dared to dance with the devil would make killing him all the more pleasurable.

Klaus' stomach turned as he saw Caroline grab Tyler's face and kiss him deeply, as if she was starved, eating enough in case her next meal does not come. The affection evident in the way she held him, the way she kissed him. It was painful to watch but he could not bring himself to look away. "Thank you for the best prom ever," she whispered to him as she cradled his face in his hands, her smile seeming to light up the entire room and causing his dead heart to skip a beat. She looked genuinely happy as if just for that short space of time all her problems were inconsequential, all because of the presence of the hybrid.

She looked radiant in the dress that he had taken as a memento from a victim many decades ago, never intending for it to be worn, just something to immortalize the poor woman who wore gowns as trophies that she cared for far more than she cared for any human being. But Caroline seemed to give the dress life that its' original owner could not even have attempted. When he looked upon her he saw nothing but a vision, a woman who did not even realize her true potential, who was made for grater thing than what this small town could offer her.

Her smile cemented Tyler's fate without her even knowing it. Seeing her happy, knowing that even through the doppelganger's efforts, her evenings was still salvaged, she was still able to have the night of her dreams: she had her dance with Tyler and she looked "Princess Grace of Monaco hot", even though to him she looked more beautiful than Grace Kelly did on her best day. He was a selfish man, but he could not be selfish with her, she deserved happiness, she deserved her dream night and if that came at the cost of sparing the hybrid, of having to watch her in his arms again, then so be it. Tomorrow is another day, but tonight shall be hers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is set post-4x19


	6. Losing Control

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Post 4x23, Klaus finds it difficult to keep his stellar self-control in check after he has a telephone conversation with Caroline.

"Niklaus, did you hear me?" He looked up from his phone to address Elijah's question.

"No sorry, could you repeat what you said?"

"I wanted to know if you were interested in coming with us to the bar?"

Klaus glanced at his phone and then back at Elijah and responded, "No thank you, I'm quite exhausted, I think I'm going to have an early night."

"Sure, I understand," Elijah replied as he and Rebekah made their way out of Klaus' home.

The minute the door shut, he turned back to his phone and reread the message, "Hey. I'm bored, what are you up to?" His fingers worked at a maniacal speed as he replied, "Nothing really. Would you like me to phone you?"

His nerves were on edge during the three minutes that he waited for her response, and he let out a short breath when he heard the familiar chimes that indicated that he had a new message. "Yes, sure!" His eyes lingered long on the exclamation mark, that one punctuation mark which seemed to hold so much enthusiasm, before he clicked that familiar button that dialed her number so often.

"Hey!" Her bright, lilting voice warming his chest as he entered his room and made his way over to his bed.

"Good evening love, how are you doing?"

He heard her sigh on the other side of the line, "I'm fine, I guess. Everyone has gone to a frat party but I wasn't really in the mood."

"What about Tyler?"

"He went with them, some of his football friends are with in the fraternity so he had to show his face." He didn't miss the sadness in her tone at her mention of Tyler's estrangement but it made him smile in a triumphant way that talking to him on the phone was preferable to a wild night out with the young hybrid.

She prattled on, telling him about her classes, her professors, her cheerleading, and he listened attentively, giving her all the responses that she wanted to hear and when she in turn asked him about his business in New Orleans, his vampire wars, his relationship with his siblings, he answered her earnestly, their conversation flowing so easily.

He found her to be a curious specimen. Never in the thousand years that he had roamed the earth had he met someone that he had such a deep connection with, someone who came from such different circumstances but yet was able to understand him so well. A part of him wondered if she was created by the gods to torture him, to show him that there was someone who was right for him, who was everything he could possibly desire but who did not to be his.

A yawn from her side broke his thoughts, which she followed by a giggle. "I think that's a sign that I need to go sleep," she commented, "And I'm sure you have a big plans out on the town to get to and I'm just boring you with my teen drama."

"Yes yes sure," Klaus replied, unwilling to tell her how he cleared his night for her, how he would give up everything for the chance to hear her voice, "But you never bore me, every experience sounds exciting and fresh when I hear it from you."

She let out another shy, slightly uncomfortable giggle, the kind he is used to her letting out whenever he becomes overt about his feelings for her.

They said their farewells and his heart dropped, the sad feeling that always followed a conversation with her, when he did not know when he would hear her voice again.

He undressed himself and settled into his usual routine, no inkling of him wanted to leave his bedroom; he wanted to savor in the moment of Caroline wanting to speak to him, of her seeking his company. He thought of her smile, the feel of her skin beneath his lips when he kissed her at her graduation, the way her eyes shone when she got particularly excited.

Every night he imagined her coming to him, appearing at his bedside, telling him that she wanted him. Every night she haunted him, her melodic laugh, her sweet scent, his mind would go wild, imagining all the things they could do to each other, and he would begin to stroke himself. It started the night after he left Mystic Falls for the last time, and each night after it, it become a sort of mechanism of dealing with the fact that he won't be seeing her everyday, there was no chance that he could randomly bump into her. It was especially difficult on the nights when he would speak to her, she would seem so close but yet so far away. His hand moved up and down his member, his thoughts singularly on her – the way she walked, her hands down his bare back as she tried to take the imaginary stake out of him, how her eyes fell on his lips when they analyzing the map while looking for Silas' sacrifice site, everything about her enticed him. With each stroke his images of her became more graphic, more risqué, until he felt himself release, and he was once again ashamed at what she had reduced to him to. He climbed off his bed and made his way to the shower, washing off the evidence of his lack of control, knowing that the following night the ritual would continue.


	7. Just A Simply Fantasy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The evolution of Caroline’s fantasies about Klaus from 3x14 to 4x18.

It started innocent enough. His hand brushing against hers when he handed her the champagne glass at his mother's ball, she was oddly surprised at the warmth of it, almost as if expecting it to be as cold as his dead heart.

That night she dreamt about a warm hand brushing against hers.

The next evening at the Grill when she utilized her skills as Klaus' distraction for the first time, she noted how easily Klaus could switch from evil murderer to charming suitor. When he asked her about her hopes and dreams, her eyes could not help but watch the way he lightly bit his lip. She never noticed before how plump, pink and perfect they were, she wondered how they would felt kissing hers and she snapped her eyes back up to meet his, reminding herself who she was talking to.

That night she dreamt about a warm hand brushing across her body and soft pink lips against hers.

At the decade dance she hated him. She hated that he was the reason she couldn't be with Tyler, and Tyler was forced to undergo terrible pain just to be free of this tyrant. But when they danced, she could not help the shiver that passed through her body as he whispered in her ear, the vibrations ghosting down her neck. Even though she scoffed at what he said, her body enjoyed the bass of his voice far more than she liked.

That night she dreamt of a warm hand brushing across her body, soft pink lips against hers, and sweet promises being whispered in her ear.

When Alaric kept her hostage in the school, she believed she would die. There stood a man in front of her with no emotions, no compassion, no feelings and while she knew she was just used as bait to get Elena to the school she didn't for one minute think he would let her just walk out.

When Klaus grabbed her in the hallway, she thought it was the end for her that Alaric had caught her again and there no more second chances. Klaus' voice calmed her, which was alarming on its own but even through the pain, the fear and the anxiety, she could not help but notice the way her body seemed to fit so perfectly against his, the way his strong arms encompassed her and the way that even though she was being held by a murderous monster she still felt safe.

The next day, she celebrated his demise.

But that night she dreamt of a warm hand brushing across her body, soft pink lips against her own, sweet promises being whispered in her ear and a firm body behind her, keeping her safe.

Playing the distraction was not a fun role. Caroline never claimed to be perfect, but her honesty was a characteristic that she reveled in. Whilst she knew Tyler and Stefan had a greater cause, it still made her feel uncomfortable to use someone's affections for her against them, even if that someone was a sociopath. When she joined him at the bar for a drink, he stomach dropped when she saw the hopeful way his eyes caressed her, almost as if believing his chance had finally come.

She gulped nervously. His unrelenting affection for her always unnerved her. She accepted his drink, causing the charade to go on further, and she saw how his eyes continued to rake over her form while he thought she wasn't noticing.

That night she dreamt of a warm hand brushing across her body, soft pink lips against her own, sweet promises being whispered in her ear, a firm body keeping her safe and blue eyes worshipping her.

Miss Mystic Falls was always her favorite town event, even as a child when her father took her religiously every year as his date. It was one of the highlights of her life when Gina Fell, the Miss Mystic winner when Caroline was seven, allowed her to try on the crown and she knew that one day she will win the title. Ten years later, the crown was hers.

He was an attentive date, giving her space but always being there when she needed him. His teasing of her was a welcome distraction from Elena's odd behavior, Jeremy's disappearance, and Hayley's enjoyment of playing house with Tyler. His laughter, so careless and youthful, left an odd, warm feeling in her stomach. It made her feel almost as if she constantly wanted to make him laugh like that. Wishing they could just forget the cure, the supernatural and the past.

That night she dreamt of a warm hand brushing across her body, soft pink lips against her own, sweet promises being whispered in her ear, a firm body keeping her safe, blue eyes worshipping her and a soft familiar laughter making her smile.

Insecurity is a bitch. It doesn't matter how many beauty pageants you win or boyfriends you have, insecurity tends to rear its ugly head when you least expect it. She knew that Klaus loved her, that much was obvious. He was a cruel man but not with her, with her he was kind and charming, even when she was her worst to him, he still remained hopeful and persistent. That was until he stabbed her with a hat stand.

She did not know him well enough to know whether he would cut off his nose to spite his face, if he would let her die, to punish Tyler but she did know that he would regret it. Even though he, who had made her feel important, had diminished her to collateral damage again.

In her delusional state, she revealed all to him, not knowing whether she would live to breathe another breath. The last thing she saw was his tear stained face before her eyes closed and his bleeding wrist was placed against her mouth. His blood was sensational, her usual B+ was water compared to his fine wine.

That night she dreamt of a warm hand brushing across her body, soft pink lips against her own, sweet promises being whispered in her ear, a firm body keeping her safe, blue eyes worshipping her, a soft familiar laughter making her smile and delicious blood filling her.

Time had passed since he had driven Tyler out of town and she had rejected him again on the porch and emotions-less Elena had brought her guilt-ridden, inappropriate thoughts about Klaus to light. She was wary about seeing him, knowing that Elena had been right, knowing that every interaction with him, good and bad, just added to her already twisted fantasy.

When Stefan invited him to join them find where Silas was planning to sacrifice the witches, she knew it was a bad idea. Especially since Elena exposed her dirty little secret to the public, it became harder not to picture him doing sinful deeds to her, on the couch in the Salvatore living room, on the table in Professor Shane's office, in the woods. She knew it was wrong, she willed herself to stop, he was the reason she wasn't with Tyler, as she forced herself to believe that if she were still with Tyler she wouldn't be having these thoughts.

As the realization hit her that she had killed 12 witches, she wanted nothing more than to have his arms around her, that same arms that she watched with rolled-up sleeves dig 12 graves, cleaning up her mess. She wanted to be covered in his scent, for him to tell her that she was going to be okay but when he rejected her she found herself missing something she never had.

That night she dreamt of a warm hand brushing across her body, soft pink lips against her own, sweet promises being whispered in her ear, a firm body keeping her safe, blue eyes worshipping her, a soft familiar laughter making her smile, delicious blood filling her and strong arms comforting her.

Every five minutes her phone would buzz and his name would flash across her screen. She was pissed with him, he was worse than a Katy Perry song, hot and cold, hot and cold. The 'ignore' button was his punishment; he couldn't expect her to jump whenever he was feeling particularly charming.

After the 28th missed call she decided to see what the hell the emergency was, and that was when she found him shirtless and sweaty on the floor of his mansion. He was beautiful. She almost wasn't surprised; he didn't have the decency to have a less-than-perfect body. Even in his moment of pain, she could not help to imagine her hands and her tongue tracing his defined abs, the V that stuck out from his pants…She shuddered, blinking to regain rational thoughts.

His touch was electric and as he held her hand to thank her, and in that moment she felt so much affection for that broken man, that despite all the wrongs that he had done he kept pulling her back in, and helping him just felt right.

That night she dreamt of a warm hand brushing across her body, soft pink lips against her own, sweet promises being whispered in her ear, a firm body keeping her safe, blue eyes worshipping her, a soft familiar laughter making her smile, delicious blood filling her, strong arms comforting her, and her hands tracing over hard, perfect abs.

Relief hit her first. Him moving away meant that he wouldn't be able to bother anymore, that he couldn't wear her down, add to her fantasy. She hoped the dreams would stop now that it no longer had fodder on which to feed. But the absence of him, made her feel far emptier than she realized.

She kept recalling the time they did spend together, noticing little things that she missed before, thinking about it at a different angle, trying to fathom what he thought in that moment, and the fantasies would begin.

What began as innocent, a small role in a big dream had become center stage. Every night he haunted her: caressing her, kissing her, whispering to her, making her feel things that she had never felt before. No matter how late she went to sleep or how preoccupied her mind was, her dreams would eventually feature an accented and dimpled blonde man pleasing her over and over again. But the next morning she would wake up, put on her best smile, and suppress all thoughts of the blonde demon.


	8. The Phonecall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Just a short drabble I wrote before the tvd season 5 finale after Stefan died. From a tumblr prompt.

> _"They encouraged each other now in the violence of their affliction."_ \- Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen p7

 

* * *

 

When Bonnie died she had Tyler. Sweet, doting Tyler. Her rock. But then Tyler left, taking his distraction with him, and she was forced to deal with a broken heart on top of the loss of her close friend. Elena checked up on her twice, but Caroline put on her best smile, walked out of her room the next day and promptly worked on her next project.

Little did they know that while they worried about how she would cope, she was already well versed in taking care of herself. During her parent's divorce, her maternal grandmother took care of her, filling in the gap when her father made himself scarce, his shame over the revelation of his double life dictating his absence. Her mother in turn, embarrassed by being taken for a fool, buried herself in her work, and Grandmother Cynthia made sure that Caroline was taken care of: fed, clothed, loved.

Grandmother Cynthia passed away when Caroline was 12, Liz buried herself even more in her work, Bill moved to the next state and Caroline hibernated in her bedroom for a week. The next week she came out, a smile on her face again, and her birthday party planned.

It was May, her birthday is in October.

When her father died, she stayed in her bedroom for three days.

And now, as she held Stefan's lifeless body against her, she felt exhausted, so tired of pretending to be fine, to be one that's always put together and ready for action. She knew that loss was part of a vampire life, she will watch humans fade around her, and many more supernatural friends lost to violence, but this was one loss she didn't want to brush aside.

But Stefan was her person, her closest friend, her ally against the world, the one who believed in her when she couldn't even be bothered to believe in herself, and god forbid, she just wanted to mourn. She wanted to wail, to tear at her clothes, to curse all the deities that they took this kind and compassionate man from the earth. Who was Caroline Forbes without Stefan Salvatore? He had helped her, moulded her, and he wouldn't be around to see her fly. The single most influential person in her life had no left her, and she never felt so alone.

Tyler was gone, Bonnie was wasting away, Matt and Jeremy were fighting to protect their town, Elena and Damon were mourning too. The one time she was forced to bear the pain alone, she didn't want to.

It was during her fifth day in hibernation that her phone rang, the cacophony of her generic ringtone was a horrible break to the silence she had immersed herself in. She almost thought about ignoring it, but she was keen to just talk to another, that she didn't even care who it was on the other side.

"Hello?" She answered, her voice gravelly after days of crying instead of speaking.

"Hello love, is this a good time?" She heard that all too familiar British accent, his voice more subdued than usual.

"No, no it's fine. Did did- you hear?" She stuttered.

"No I haven't heard anything about what's happening in Mystic Falls," his voice was immediately sharp, "What happened? Are you hurt? What's going on there?"

"It's Stefan," she choked out, "he's he's dead." She sobbed again.

"How did this happen?" Klaus' voice was cold and detached.

"The travelers," she said through sobs, "They killed him. He's gone. He passed through Bonnie and everything. I don't know what to do, or how to go on. I just can't handle the pain anymore."

"Caroline, listen to me," he said to her in a stern tone, "You are one of the most strongest women I've had the pleasure of knowing, but that does not mean that you constantly have to have everything sorted out. You have just lost one of the closest persons in your life, you don't have to know what to do, or how to handle the situation, you just need to take everyday as it comes, and I promise you Caroline, you will be able to carry on with your life. If I've been sure of anyone that would make it through, it will be you."

She smiled faintly, the tears still pouring down her face, "How is it you always know what to say?"

He chuckled, "So are you giving me the name of said traveler so that I can have them killed?"

She sighed, "No, I haven't changed that much. So, why did you call me?"

"I just needed to hear your voice, it's been one of those days."

"Oh no, what happened in New Orleans? The last time you called me, Rebekah left you…" she enquired.

"It's my daughter," he said in a deadpan voice, "She's gone."

"Oh Klaus, what happened? Was there complications in the birth? Is Hayley okay?" she asked. In their short conversations that they had held over the past couple of months, she had realized that the plethora of characters in New Orleans were a part of his new life and even though it hurt that he had moved on with his life so quickly, after she had gotten over the initial shock of Hayley carrying his child, she understood how important the child was to him, and accepted it as thus.

"You could say that, supernatural complications. Let's just say that a child born to a creature like me was doomed from the start. Hayley is fine, she is a hybrid now, long story, but Elijah is helping her heal," he informed her.

Caroline heard the echoes of loneliness in his tone, and she realized that this man, so many states over, who she often dismissed so quickly, was one of the few in her life that truly knew how she felt.

**Author's Note:**

> This was written post-4x16


End file.
